Manti-La Sal National Forest Proposes New Recreation Fee

Manti-La Sal National Forest Proposes New Recreation Fee
PRICE, UT - Recreation managers on the Manti-La Sal National Forest
are seeking public comments on a proposal to add the Orange Olsen
Administrative Site facilities into the recreation rental program.
The Orange Olsen Administrative Site facilities proposed for the
recreation rental program include: 1) Orange Olsen Dwelling and 2)
Orange Olsen Bunkhouse with four trailer pads. The proposal is to
charge $60.00 per night at the Dwelling and $40.00 per night at the
Bunkhouse. The fee for the Bunkhouse would also include four trailer
pads with water and sewer hookups. Visitors will have the option of
reserving the Dwelling or the Bunkhouse separately, or the entire
site.
The Orange Olsen Dwelling has a front room, two bedrooms (sleeping up
to six people), kitchen, and bathroom with shower. An accessible ramp
provides entrance to the back door of the facility. The Orange Olsen
Bunkhouse has a combination kitchen/bedroom (sleeping up to four
people), bathroom with shower, and four trailer pads with water and
sewer hookups. Both of the buildings have photovoltaic (solar)
lighting, propane fueled appliances, water, and sewer. Also an
extensive condition survey was conducted by the Forest Facilities
Engineer which identified a need to replace appliances and curtains in
the dwelling and total remodel the interior of the bunkhouse including
floors, walls, bathroom, and wiring. These upgrades will be completed
by the fall of 2013.
"We recognize how important this site is to our local communities and
those who will use the site," said Bill Broadbear, Manti-La Sal
recreation program manager. "These fees will help us maintain the
cabins to the level and quality people have come to expect."
In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act
which allows the Forest Service to keep 95 percent of fees collected
at certain recreation sites and use these funds locally to operate,
maintain and enhance these sites. Fee revenue generated from the
rental of the Orange Olsen Administrative Site facilities would be
used for operations and maintenance and future enhancements, for
example, a historical information kiosk. More information about the
Manti-La Sal National Forest Recreation Fee Program can be found in
the Forest's Annual Fee Program Accomplishment Reports at:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/mantilasal.
This fee proposal will be presented before a citizen's advisory
committee, called the Utah Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Recreation
Resource Advisory Committee (RRAC).
Committee members represent a broad array of recreation interest
groups and help ensure public issues and concerns about recreation
fees are considered. The public is welcome to attend and comment at
all advisory committee meetings. The next RRAC meeting is expected to
be held in the winter of 2014. The exact meeting time, location, and
agenda will be announced on the Manti-La Sal National Forest website,
on the Utah BLM RRAC website, and through local media.
If this fee proposal is approved, it is anticipated that the Orange
Olsen Administrative Site facilities would become available for
overnight rental in the summer of 2014. Reservations would be
required for rental of the Dwelling and Bunkhouse. Reservations would
be made through the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS) at
www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. The NRRS charges a
$9.00 reservation fee for internet reservations and $10 fee for phone
reservations.
For more information about this fee proposal, please contact: Bill
Broadbear, Ferron/Price and Sanpete Recreation Program Manager at
(435) 636-3516 or email at bbroadbear@fs.fed.us; or Ann King, Public
Service Group Leader at (435) 636-3535 or email at aking@fs.fed.us.
Further information about this proposal can also be found on the
forest website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mantilasal/ .
Comments may be submitted to: Manti-La Sal National Forest, 599 West
Price River Drive, Price, Utah 84501, Attn: Bill Broadbear or by
email at: bbroadbear@fs.fed.us . Please submit comments by December
31, 2013 so comments can be compiled, analyzed, and shared with the
RRAC during the winter of 2014.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer
Published in the Emery County Progress July 16, 2013.

These legal notices, along with those from other fine Utah newspapers, can be viewed at www.utahlegals.com.